Earthquake retrofits or affordable rent? Some Seattleites may have to choose

A scene from a simulation by the Washington State Department of Transportation of what could happen if a massive earthquake hits the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

YouTube/WSDOT

Hundreds of old brick buildings in Seattle are at risk of collapsing during a major earthquake – that’s clear.

Also clear: These structures are often in neighborhoods with high risk for displacement – affecting people of color and low-income households.

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A special committee told the City Council this week that it should require retrofits of all of those buildings.

The problem is the cost: Roughly $1 billion.

Nathan Torgelson, director of the Department of Construction and Inspections, said people could be priced out if rents increase to cover the cost.

"Should we have mandatory retrofits requirements for these buildings, which could lead to displacement of tenants and residents?” he said. “We don't want that, but by the same token it's not if but when we have our next major earthquake event, all these buildings could be gone."

The city has flagged 1,100 unreinforced masonry buildings. You can check city estimates of the risk in this list (also see below), which groups them by neighborhood:

City Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez said this will be a complex policy to write.

"If we do nothing there are disproportionate impacts, if we do something there are disproportionate impacts,” she said. “That is not a comfortable place to live in, in terms of trying to make a policy decision here."

The council isn't expected to decide what to do until long after a new mayor is sworn in this fall.

Related Content

Last week’s earthquake in Mexico provided another reminder about the risks of poorly reinforced buildings. According to government studies, there are literally thousands of older brick and concrete buildings in Oregon and Washington that could collapse in a strong earthquake.

Seconds before last week's 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico City, people got an alert that the ground was about to start shaking. The Sistema de Alerta Sismica Mexicano, or SASMEX, gives people a chance to get under a desk or leave a building before the shaking begins.